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= THE GLASS FACTORY. =
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*==».,,,,, SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ,,,,,.»==*
==».,,,,,, BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ,,,,,,.»==
*==».,,,,, THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ,,,,,.»==*
§*==».,,,, NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ,,,,.»==*§
#§*==».,,, SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ,,,.»==*§#
##§*==».,, STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ,,.»==*§##
###§*==»., FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ,.»==*§###
##§*==».,, THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ,,.»==*§##
#§*==».,,, AND A GIFT SHOP. ,,,.»==*§#
§*==».,,,, ,,,,.»==*§
*==».,,,,, THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ,,,,,.»==*
==».,,,,,, MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ,,,,,,.»==
*==».,,,,, CONSIDERED POOR. ,,,,,.»==*
§*==».,,,, ,,,,.»==*§
#§*==».,,, THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ,,,.»==*§#
##§*==».,, DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ,,.»==*§##
###§*==»., YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ,.»==*§###
##§*==».,, REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ,,.»==*§##
#§*==».,,, CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ,,,.»==*§#
§*==».,,,, LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ,,,,.»==*§
*==».,,,,, PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ,,,,,.»==*
==».,,,,,, SOME ARE SHATTERED. ,,,,,,.»==
*==».,,,,, ,,,,,.»==*
§*==».,,,, THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ,,,,.»==*§
#§*==».,,, A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ,,,.»==*§#
##§*==».,, GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ,,.»==*§##
###§*==»., VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ,.»==*§###
##§*==».,, TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ,,.»==*§##
#§*==».,,, GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ,,,.»==*§#
§*==».,,,, ,,,,.»==*§
*==».,,,,, == ,,,,,.»==*
==».,,,,,, == == ,,,,,,.»==
*==».,,,,, »»»»»»» = = »»»»»»» ,,,,,.»==*
§*==».,,,, == == ,,,,.»==*§
#§*==».,,, == ,,,.»==*§#
##§*==».,, ,,.»==*§##
###§*==»., I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ,.»==*§###
##§*==».,, OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ,,.»==*§##
#§*==».,,, OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ,,,.»==*§#
§*==».,,,, DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ,,,,.»==*§
*==».,,,,, BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ,,,,,.»==*
==».,,,,,, DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ,,,,,,.»==
*==».,,,,, ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ,,,,,.»==*
§*==».,,,, LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ,,,,.»==*§
#§*==».,,, WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ,,,.»==*§#
##§*==».,, ,,.»==*§##
###§*==»., HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ,.»==*§###
##§*==».,, HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ,,.»==*§##
#§*==».,,, IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ,,,.»==*§#
§*==».,,,, INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ,,,,.»==*§
*==».,,,,, IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ,,,,,.»==*
==».,,,,,, WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ,,,,,,.»==
*==».,,,,, OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ,,,,,.»==*
§*==».,,,, ,,,,.»==*§
#§*==».,,, THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ,,,.»==*§#
##§*==».,, HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ,,.»==*§##
###§*==»., LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ,.»==*§###
##§*==».,, TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ,,.»==*§##
#§*==».,,, A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ,,,.»==*§#
§*==».,,,, STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ,,,,.»==*§
*==».,,,,, BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ,,,,,.»==*
==».,,,,,, ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ,,,,,,.»==
*==».,,,,, LIT FROM BEHIND. ,,,,,.»==*
§*==».,,,, ,,,,.»==*§
#§*==».,,, I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ,,,.»==*§#
##§*==».,, THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ,,.»==*§##
###§*==»., WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ,.»==*§###
##§*==».,, LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ,,.»==*§##
#§*==».,,, ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ,,,.»==*§#
§*==».,,,, AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ,,,,.»==*§
*==».,,,,, OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ,,,,,.»==*
==».,,,,,, ,,,,,,.»==
*==».,,,,, == ,,,,,.»==*
§*==».,,,, == == ,,,,.»==*§
#§*==».,,, »»»»»»» = = »»»»»»» ,,,.»==*§#
##§*==».,, == == ,,.»==*§##
###§*==»., == ,.»==*§###
##§*==».,, ,,.»==*§##
#§*==».,,, MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ,,,.»==*§#
§*==».,,,, STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ,,,,.»==*§
*==».,,,,, IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ,,,,,.»==*
==».,,,,,, IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ,,,,,,.»==
*==».,,,,, IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ,,,,,.»==*
§*==».,,,, DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ,,,,.»==*§
#§*==».,,, CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ,,,.»==*§#
##§*==».,, SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ,,.»==*§##
###§*==»., PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ,.»==*§###
##§*==».,, ,,.»==*§##
#§*==».,,, THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ,,,.»==*§#
§*==».,,,, THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ,,,,.»==*§
*==».,,,,, THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ,,,,,.»==*
==».,,,,,, A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ,,,,,,.»==
*==».,,,,, SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ,,,,,.»==*
§*==».,,,, HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ,,,,.»==*§
#§*==».,,, SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ,,,.»==*§#
##§*==».,, THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ,,.»==*§##
###§*==»., IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ,.»==*§###
##§*==».,, CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ,,.»==*§##
#§*==».,,, ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ,,,.»==*§#
§*==».,,,, ,,,,.»==*§
*==».,,,,, THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ,,,,,.»==*
==».,,,,,, WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ,,,,,,.»==
*==».,,,,, CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ,,,,,.»==*
§*==».,,,, BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ,,,,.»==*§
#§*==».,,, FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ,,,.»==*§#
##§*==».,, BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ,,.»==*§##
###§*==»., DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ,.»==*§###
##§*==».,, TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ,,.»==*§##
#§*==».,,, DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ,,,.»==*§#
§*==».,,,, FLOOR. ,,,,.»==*§
*==».,,,,, ,,,,,.»==*
==».,,,,,, HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ,,,,,,.»==
*==».,,,,, KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ,,,,,.»==*
§*==».,,,, LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ,,,,.»==*§
#§*==».,,, WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ,,,.»==*§#
##§*==».,, PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ,,.»==*§##
###§*==»., HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ,.»==*§###
##§*==».,, THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ,,.»==*§##
#§*==».,,, ,,,.»==*§#
§*==».,,,, I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ,,,,.»==*§
*==».,,,,, WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ,,,,,.»==*
==».,,,,,, MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ,,,,,,.»==
*==».,,,,, WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ,,,,,.»==*
§*==».,,,, THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ,,,,.»==*§
#§*==».,,, VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ,,,.»==*§#
##§*==».,, BECOME STILL. ,,.»==*§##
###§*==»., ,.»==*§###
##§*==».,, == ,,.»==*§##
#§*==».,,, == == ,,,.»==*§#
§*==».,,,, »»»»»»» = = »»»»»»» ,,,,.»==*§
*==».,,,,, == == ,,,,,.»==*
==».,,,,,, == ,,,,,,.»==
*==».,,,,, ,,,,,.»==*
§*==».,,,, A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ,,,,.»==*§
#§*==».,,, AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ,,,.»==*§#
##§*==».,, BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ,,.»==*§##
###§*==»., STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ,.»==*§###
##§*==».,, CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ,,.»==*§##
#§*==».,,, FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ,,,.»==*§#
§*==».,,,, SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ,,,,.»==*§
*==».,,,,, AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ,,,,,.»==*
==».,,,,,, ,,,,,,.»==
*==».,,,,, SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ,,,,,.»==*
§*==».,,,, THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ,,,,.»==*§
#§*==».,,, GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ,,,.»==*§#
##§*==».,, I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ,,.»==*§##
###§*==»., THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ,.»==*§###
##§*==».,, ,,.»==*§##
#§*==».,,, I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ,,,.»==*§#
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